Old
Stone Church
Old Stone Church is a fully restored historic
church built by the
County’s early settler s. In 1867 a group of
pioneers of German heritage needed a place of worship for their
Methodist Episcopal congregation. They
hand quarried the stone near Pine Creek and built the church
themselves.
Today the Church is fully restored and is available
for weddings, meetings and family events. The church is
non-denominational and is owned by the Friends of the Old Stone
Church a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
For more information contact:
Mr. John Scott, President
Phone: 563-299-8205
Email: jscott@machlink.com
Web Page:
www.oldstonechurch.us
Log
cabin
A short walk
from the mill is another bit of local history. A few years ago a
neighbor tore
down an out building and found a log cabin hidden under the
siding. He protected it and donated it to Friends of the Mill.
Another
Wildcat Den neighbor donated land for the cabin. Tree ring analysis found
that the cabin was built in the middle 1850s. Volunteers have
completed rebuilding the cabin.
The cabin contains many items that give visitors an idea of what
the inside of a cabin might have looked like in the 1850’s. It
is now a unique part of our interpretation program.
Pine
Creek Bridge
The 1878 bridge is one of the most visited spots in the park.
It’s the place to come if you enjoy a beautiful view, the sound
of rippling water, or just the quiet of nature. The
bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.
It’s more than a rusty old bridge on a quiet stream. Prior to
the construction of the bridge residents had to ford Pine Creek
near the mill or travel far to the north to cross the creek.
The lack of a bridge not only hindered travel for the residents, it also badly hindered access to the mill.
The residents and mill owner Hermann Huchendorf petitioned the
Muscatine County Supervisors requesting that a bridge be built
over Pine Creek at the mill. A bridge could be ordered right
out of
the supplier’s catalog. The bridge would be delivered by rail
and simply bolted together at the site.
Nye Cemetery
Muscatine
County’s first pioneer family is buried in a pioneer cemetery a
short walk from the mill. Benjamin Nye,
the man who
built
and operated the mill, met with a tragic demise. He was
killed in a
dispute with his son in law. His grave is one of several
in the cemetery. The earliest date found on the headstones
is 1838.
Nye Memorial
A one mile
drive up New Era Road is the site of
mill builder
Benjamin Nye’s killing by his
son-in-law.